This is it! Today is the last day of the 24th annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival so if you haven't managed to catch any films yet, get out and make it happen! They've even added a second showing of The Falls, a drama about two gay Mormons, at 4pm today due to the overwhelming response last weekend. Get your tickets before it sells out!
Tonight's Closing Gala film, Abe Sylvia's Dirty Girl is unfortunately sold out, but you can always give the Hope Line a try. It's sure to be a good time (and Milla Jovovich looks as amazing as ever).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibe_TKSLLgc
The quality of films this year simply blew me away. Huge respect goes out to Amber Dawn, Director of Programming, for bringing together films on such a diverse spectrum, and of course Drew Dennis for making it all happen.
We had local Vancouver films like Stock Characters, Canadian films like the shorts in From Coast to Coast is Queer, and international films like The Invisible Men from Israel, and Funeral Parade of Roses from Japan. We sang along to the drag ball musical, Leave it on the Floor, and laughed together through the short film, Putting the "I" in Trans. For a moment, we experienced the thrill of growing up with Tomboy, and the pain of moving on with Lulu Sessions.
My favourite film would most definitely be Javier Van de Courter's Mia; an absolutely beautiful story of a trans woman from the "Pink Village" shantytown on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, whose life is dramatically changed after finding a discarded diary on the street.
As she begins to read it, Alé soon realizes it's a suicide letter from a young mother named Mia, written to her daughter, Julia. Julia's father, trapped in a dangerous cycle of alcohol abuse, explodes into fits of anger as he tries to cope with his loss and his new responsibilities as a single dad. Housemaids come and quickly go, and Alé soon finds an opportunity to build the kind of family she's always dreamed of.
Van de Courter's brilliant storytelling and the exceptional acting by Camila Sosa Villada absolutely envelop you, opening your eyes to a tragically beautiful and poignant reality - one which can't easily be forgotten.
I absolutely recommend this film to all of you. And guess what? It's going to be back in town (though without the director this time) for the 10th annual Vancouver Latin American Film Festival on September 1st! Make this one a priority, people. You won't regret it! Here's the official trailer.
(Also, make sure to vote for your OUTtv People's Choice Award for Best Picture at Empire Granville 7 tomorrow, or via the VQFF iPhone App!)
To round off my posts from the 24th annual VQFF, I have to mention the awesome parties. I paid my very first visit to Fortune Sound Club on the first night of the festival to catch the Opening Gala Party, which featured phenomenal performances by Jovainka and Tranàpus Rex and music by DJ Jay Douglas.
Lines outside The Rio for the second showing of Mia!
Then there was the Fierce and Fabulous Party with its ridiculously awesome open-mic cabaret. After Mia on Wednesday night, we had free bus rides (this was no Translink affair - check the photo!) to the Electric Owl for the Centrepiece Gala Party, where the servers provided free hors d'oeuvre, and drag superstars Celestial Seasons and Sienna Blaze put on a powerful show (I even ended up on stage myself at one point!) and DJ Cho Cha provided some dancing beats. For photos of the parties, and the festival in general, check out VQFF's Facebook Page.
And don't forget about the Closing Gala Party tonight at Celebrities at 9:30, where Joan-E and one of my favs, Isolde N. Barron, will bring the house DOWN alongside DJs G-Luve and Taffi Louis. Cover is free for VQFF members, or $5 at the door. See you there!
The Vancouver Queer Film Festival is run by Out On Screen, which is also runs the Out in Schools program. If you've enjoyed the films this year, or even if you weren't able to make it out to any, please consider making a donation so they can continue to develop and support these programs.
I hope you enjoyed the 24th Vancouver Queer Film Fest!
